Newly crowned Miss Universe Australia Caity Worthington has joined the call to ban trans athletes from participating in traditional women’s sports.
Highlighting the need for fairness, she argued that “human biology does not lie.” Hence, everyone deserves a chance to compete on a level playing field without a biological advantage over other competitors.
This comes as trans athletes have increasingly seen restrictions placed on them by relevant sports authorities.
Australian beauty queen Caity Worthington has sparked internet discussion after stating that transgender women should not be allowed to compete in biological women’s sports divisions.
Worthington is a medical radiographer from Brisbane who participated in and won the Miss Universe Australia pageant last week.
During the competition’s Q&A segment, which tested the contestants’ quick-thinking skills, she was asked whether restricting biological males from competing in women’s sports categories is common sense or discriminatory.
“Transgender women competing across a range of traditional women’s sports is making headlines around the world. Do you believe banning biological males from women’s sport is common sense or discrimination, and why?” host Tegan Martin, who won the competition in 2014, asked her.
“That is a very good question,” Worthington began. “Look, coming from a medical background, I’m sure we can all agree — and this is definitely my view — that human biology does not lie.”
Miss Universe Australia Calls For Separate Trans Sports Category
Earning a rousing round of applause from the crowd, she suggested creating a dedicated, separate category for transgender athletes to ensure everyone has a fair chance to participate.
“I think we should really work towards that foundational level of fairness overall. Everyone deserves their time to shine,” she continued.
The 28-year-old Brisbane native added, “So I would love to see in the future transgender people having their own sport.”
Worthington is set to represent Australia at the international Miss Universe pageant in Puerto Rico.
Trans Athletes Face Growing Restrictions In Sports
Australian sports organizations currently maintain varied policies on transgender inclusion, depending on the sport and level of competition.
Back in 2020, several of the country’s sports bodies issued guidelines aimed at encouraging participation and inclusion of transgender athletes.
However, transgender athletes continue to see pushback and restrictions from several quarters, including the U.S., where the Supreme Court ruled in June that individual states can ban transgender women from playing on school and college sports teams, per the BBC.
Back in March, the International Olympic Committee declared a policy barring transgender women from competing in female categories at the Olympic Games.
Transgender Debate Puts WNBA Rules Under Spotlight
3It comes amid the ongoing controversy surrounding transgender eligibility in the WNBA, which has been driven by ambiguous league rules, player comments, public protests, and deliberate provocations designed to challenge the league’s policies.
It began after Indiana Fever player Sophie Cunningham raised eyebrows over trans women’s participation in traditional women’s sports.
She explained that she received criticism from people who believed she “hated” transgender people, but denied it, saying she wants to “extend love” to everyone.
“I also think that love is truth, being honest. And I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men,” she added.
The WNBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) explicitly states that only players who are women are eligible to compete. However, it does not have specific, detailed public guidelines defining eligibility criteria based on biological sex at birth, hormone levels, or timing of transition.
Meanwhile, league commissioner Cathy Engelbert reportedly sent a memo to teams noting that the matter is under review, per the Associated Press.
She added, “Our player eligibility rules, unlike the eligibility rules of some other leagues and governing bodies, are collectively bargained. Preserving the integrity of our game and ensuring fair competition will always remain among the league’s highest priorities.”
Fans Split Over Worthington’s Trans Sports Stance
3Worthington’s comments have sparked intense debate as supporters and critics of her viewpoint took to the internet to react.
“Listen, even if you take the trans thing out of the question… you have to be precise with the rules of your league or category, because cheats can exploit the rules and regulations,” an X user noted. “So is the WNBA for XX only? XY on hormones? or XY that identify as XX?”
Someone else said, “The world is waking up to the trans cult, and more importantly more are speaking up against the tyranny of trans.”
“Wonderful, an Australian woman standing up for common sense, we need more and more of them,” a third user wrote, while another who feared her remark might have struck the wrong nerve added, “She’s absolutely going to get cancelled.”